I lanogrrt



E. E. HARTMAN.,v

COLLAPSIBILE SUITCASE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28, 1919.

1 3 1 9,072 Patented Oct. 21, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

ATTORNEY E. E. HARTMAN.

COLLAPSIBLE SUITCASE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28. I919.

1,319,072. Patented Oct. 21,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- INVENTOR c"((e.s Z-T/kzrtmaw BY UNITED STATES P ENTOFFICE. II I I nuns u.namiirni;j m,yg

To all whom it concern v I, Be it known that I, ELLFZS E. HA 'rMAN, asubject of the King of Hungary,res1ding at New York city, county andState of New tion, in whichformation it will take up "but little space..My improved foldable structure, whether embodied; in the form of a suitcase or trunk. will be found very useful .for theatrical performers,especially those who do considerabletraveling, such as vaudevilleartists, who frequently encounter limited quarters to store theirtrunks, etc. 1 I will now describe my improved foldable structure indetail,'reference being had tothe drawing, wherein will refer to it as asuit-case,but it will be V Figure 1 is a perspective view of my im}.proved device set up to form a table;

"Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view thereof; b

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating the'mannerofcon necting the members to form. a suitcase of trunk; f

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of one corner of the body of the device;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view, the sectionbeing ftaken on a line 5-5 in Fig.4; 7 v

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectionalplan view,

the section being taken on a line 6 6 in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the device folded;

Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view thereof 5 V Fig. 9 is an enlarged verticalsectlonal view illustrating the manner of detachably hinging the coverto the body of the structure; and V Figs. 10 and 11 are detailperspective views of the hinge-member's. In describing my improvedstructure, I

- understood that the same may be embodied in the form of a trunk or thelike; in any event, the-structure is made up of a bottommember 12 havingside members 13 and 14 and end members 15 and 16, one end mem Specification bf Letters Patent.

ber beingillustrated inFig. 2, whilein Fig.

8, both endinembers are illustrated. The side-members ,13 and 14 and'endmembers 15 and 16 are hinged at 17, 17 ,fandj 18, 18, respectively, tothe corresponding edgesof the bottom-member, 12, the side-members 13and;14 being arrangedv to fold inwardly, or toward each other, and lieupon the upper surface of the bottom 12.. The end-members 15 andlti arearranged "to fold under and lie against the'undersurface ofthe bottom12, as illustrated in 7 l I To; look the side and end-members togetherwhen positioned to form a suit-case, I provide the ends thereof withintermeshing tongues 19 and 20 extending from plates 21 and22,respectively,(see- Fig. 5),. -the PatentedOct. 21,1919. 7

Application filed lanuary 28, 1919. Serial No. 273,629,

plates- 22 beingsecured to the end-members and 20 are each. providedwith openings 23 V therethrough that will aline one with the other whenthe members 13, 14, 15Vand 16 are/set up to form'the suit-case. Tolock"the members aftenthey have been set up, Ifemploy locking-bars 24 and 25connected by across-member 26, in orderthat the ,tw'e

bars can be simultaneously operated. The

bars 24 and 25 'passthrough the alined open;

ings' in the tongues19, and 20. To prevent the complete withdrawal .ofthe locking 7 bars, 7 Ifia tten one side thereof as at 27?- (Figs. Sand6'), and insert a pin 28' in the uppermost tongue. 20 v(see Fig. 5:)Adja:

cent. the lower end of the bars 24 and '25,

ashould er 29 is provided which will prevent thelocking-bars from beingcompletely withdrawn, thereby obviating the chancefof losing same. Thelocking-bars, when raised orpulled upwardly until pins 28 strikeshoulders 29, will permit the side and end members of the suit-case tobereleased one from the other in order that they can be folded. After theside and end members have been separated or moved out of en'-- gagement,one with the other, the locking" bars can be pushed downwardly throughthe tongues 20; hence will not project from the send-members, when saidmembers are folded.

Another element of the combination consists' of a cover or top 29 whichis hinged to one of the side-members (in this instance side-member 13),whenithecase. is set up for use, but which is disconnected from the saidside-member when the case i's fol'ded. In other words, I employ areleasable hinge to connect the top and side-member. of. the' case.Referring to Fig. 9, the hinge consists of a resilient socket-member30'; which is carried by the side-member of the case, and atrunnion-member 31 which isrounded and carried by the top or cover 29.As can be seen, the socket-member 30 is located on the inside of theside-member of the case opposite to an opening 32 therein through whichthe support 33 for the trunnionmember 31 passes. The opening 32 will bewide enough to permit the cover of the case to be opened sufliciently tosuit all purposes. When the: case is'to be folded the cover will bedisenga-ged' therefrom by pulling the trunnions 31 out of the sockets 32.VVhen the case is to set up the trunnions 31 will be forced into saidsockets.

In order that the case can be used as a table, I provide the bottomthereof with foldable legs 34 and 35 which do not interfere with the useof the devic for suitease purposes, but adapts the same for'use as atable which will be found very convenient at times. The case will beprovided. with the usual lock; 36 and hasp-fasteners' 37 To fold thecase the lockin'gbars" or rods will be withdrawn, the: sides foldedinward tolie'uponthe'bottom member, and the ends folded under to restagainst the underside ofthe bottom, the top of course having beenseparated from the side-member 13. After the sides and endshave-beenzfolded as' above described, the top or cover will be appliedto coverthe folded over endsof'- the case as: indicated in Fig. 7. Inconnection with the lock and hasps', I employ straps 38 and 39 to securethe: top or cover to the body of the case: when set up for use, saidstraps being employed tosecure the members'of the case together whenthey are folded? In other words, after the case has been folded it willbe turned over and the cover 29 applied to uvliat was the: .u11derportion of the case,

thereby covering the folded ends. The straps-38 and 39 will be caused toengage the buckles carried by the sidemembers l3 and 2.In a suit case,a: bottom-member, side and end-members hinged thereto, tongues carriedby the side members at the ends thereof, said tongues being spaced" onefrom the other and provided with openings there through, similar tonguescarried by the endmeniber arranged tofit in the spaces between thetongues on. the side members, said last named tongues" having openingsto aline' with the openingsin the'first named tongues, locliing barsarranged to pass through the openings of all of said tongues, saidlocking-bars provide shoulders, and pins carried by the uppermosttongues of each end-membe'nto prevent the complete Withdrawal of thelocking-bars. I

Signed at New York city, N. Y., this 20 day of January, 1919. ELLTtSHARTMAN.

Witnesses:

MnURIoE'BLocK', EDWARD A. JARVIS. 1

Gbpi'esof this p'atent may be ottained fbrfiveoents each, Byaddressihgthe- Gbmmi'ssioner of Patentfii I l Washington, D. C.

